E-mail from Tierney’s campaign manager

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The following e-mail was sent to the Globe by Matt Robison, Representative John Tierney’s campaign manager.

Mr. Rezendes:

In response to your various emails, attached please find an opinion from former IRS legal counsel, D. Sean McMahon. As you will see, Mr. McMahon, an experienced former IRS lawyer actually responsible for bringing cases against taxpayers, very much dismisses as false the allegations in your emails and the purported opinions of your unnamed experts. We have asked Mr. McMahon, and the Campaign’s First Amendment/libel counsel, Howard Cooper, to meet with senior editors at the Globe to discuss this matter as we regard it as very serious and unfair. Congressman Tierney repeats that while he respects fully the right of media outlets to vigorously cover his campaign for re-election, false reporting should have no place in the dialogue.

In Mr. McMahon’s letter, we are giving you the name of the expert who we have consulted, his opinion and the basis for his opinion. We note that in your pursuit of a story where none exists, you have not extended the same treatment to us. Indeed, given your approach to this matter, we do not take your request for tax returns as made seriously or in good faith, and we will certainly not provide you with material for you to further misconstrue in an effort to publish a false story. Congressman Tierney and his wife readily acknowledge that Mrs. Tierney properly did not include the payments from her brother and mother as income on their tax returns, as those payments were gifts. If you are interested in writing a different story about some other aspect of the returns which does not involve a false and misleading allegation, then Congressman Tierney will of course reconsider providing his returns to you. Please feel free to discuss this with counsel.